Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike rejected allegations that he rigged the 2023 presidential election in the South-South. He described the claims as a baseless narrative that spread mainly on social media.
Nyesom Wike made the rebuttal in Abuja on Wednesday. He responded to criticism that followed his earlier remarks on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout programme.
Critics accused him of altering result sheets in favour of President Bola Tinubu against Labour Party candidate Peter Obi. Nyesom Wike rejected the charge.
He asked: “People who don’t understand, how can they say I rigged the election? How would I have done it? So, I just took the result sheets, wrote it, and gave it to INEC?”
Nyesom Wike explained the approach adopted by the G5 group of governors. The group identified Peoples Democratic Party candidate Atiku Abubakar as the main threat because the South-South remained a PDP stronghold.
He stated: “We felt that Atiku was more of a factor in that election than Obi. So our strategy was, make sure that you vote for Obi to win in order to deny Atiku the votes.”
He added: “South-South was purely a PDP state and so if we had voted for PDP all through, then Atiku would have won. That was a threat.”
Nyesom Wike said the group allowed Peter Obi to win in Edo and Cross River. He noted: “We said in Edo, PDP is stronger in the South-South. Our problem will be Atiku. Therefore, instead of Atiku to take it, let it go to the Labour Party. That was our strategy. Cross River, the same thing.”
The plan did not apply in Rivers State. He explained that an Obi victory there would have sent an unwanted political signal. The group therefore blocked it.
Nyesom Wike maintained that the strategy disadvantaged Atiku without significantly boosting Peter Obi’s national prospects.
